REGION: Border patrol arrests alleged drug smuggler

North County Times

SAN CLEMENTE ---- U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a32-year-old Mexican man on suspicion of smuggling drugs and seizedmore than $250,000 worth of cocaine after the man behavedsuspiciously at an Interstate 5 checkpoint this week, authoritiessaid Tuesday.

About 5:45 p.m. Sunday, agents at the checkpoint stopped a 2000
Dodge Dakota pickup truck and, after noticing the man's nervous
demeanor, discovered he was in the United States illegally,
according to a statement from the Border Patrol.

Search dogs helped agents find nine cellophane-wrapped bundles
of cocaine weighing more than 25 pounds in the truck, the statement
said. The truck was seized by Border Patrol agents.